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Part 3, Chapter 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Harlem Shuffle, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Crime, Class, and Social Mobility
Identity and Duality
Community, Change, and Loyalty
Systemic Racism, Injustice, and Power
Betrayal, Vengeance, and Integrity
Summary
Analysis
That evening, Carney keeps picturing Linus’s corpse. He feels guilty for his frequent jibes at the man, always tied to his worries about Freddie. Carney wonders where Freddie is and if the man who bumped into him will rat him out to the police. Elizabeth thinks Carney is anxious about his meeting with Mr. Gibbs of Bella Fontaine tomorrow. She now runs the travel agency’s home office, and Carney considers quitting his crooked operations, which no longer seem worth the risk. Unable to sleep, Carney pictures himself being tortured by Chink Montague and wonders if Linus’s death was actually murder. He sleeps on the couch so as not to wake Elizabeth with his fretting.
It is ironic to see how Carney withholds information about his crooked dealings from Elizabeth, knowing from his current experiences with Freddie that having no knowledge of a situation does not necessarily protect one from its fallout. That Carney considers quitting his lucrative crooked life entirely shows how frightened he is by whatever Freddie is involved in.
Themes
The next day, Carney has Marie and Rusty arrive early to practice their pitches for Mr. Gibbs. Carney is still thinking about Linus and Freddie. When Mr. Gibbs arrives at the store, Carney turns on his practiced charm, taking him around the showroom and talking business. He alludes to the riots only to assert that families of every race need a furnished home, no matter how the city changes. Suddenly, two White police officers approach Carney’s office, ignoring Marie’s protests. Hearing they are investigating a recent death and need to speak with Carney, Mr. Gibbs excuses himself. Carney considers protesting but lets him go, burying his rage for the time being.
Despite everything going on with Freddie, Carney must maintain his appearance as an upstanding businessman and keep his mind on social mobility. His remark to Mr. Gibbs about furniture being a constant need in the changing city reflects his true passion for his community. But Carney’s front finally fails when police enter the store and his separate lives collide, interfering with his business prospects.
Themes
The officers interrogate Carney, thinking he knew Linus Van Wyck, who was found dead in a transient house. Carney feigns shock. According to them, Carney’s cousin Freddie was the last person to see Linus alive. They mention Freddie’s dismissed drug charges and Carney’s father, Big Mike, calling him a “[r]ough character.” Carney answers the officers’ questions, playing dumb. Before they leave, one of them asks him to hold a sculpture for him—he has plenty of overtime pay from the riots. They instruct Carney to keep an eye out for Freddie, as Linus apparently came from a wealthy family on Park Avenue. Afterwards, Carney leaves a message for Mr. Gibbs with little hope it will be returned.
Although it seemed to Carney that Linus died of an overdose, the police are treating it as a suspicious death, likely because he comes from a wealthy White family. On the other hand, Carney’s association with Freddie and Big Mike alerts the officers’ suspicion, displaying clear racial bias. It is bitterly ironic that the officer only thinks of riots in terms of overtime pay, showing how little the devastation and injustice have affected him. Even though Carney has no direct involvement in Linus’s death, he knows the potential scandal is enough to scare Mr. Gibbs away.
Themes
Since the fall of Wilfred Duke, the Dumas Club’s membership has changed. Pierce is now vice president, and he invited Carney to reapply—this time, he was readily accepted. Duke’s whereabouts are still unknown, but his friends—including Leland—still suffer from tarnished reputations. After the Bella Fontaine incident, Carney meets Pierce at the club. Looking around, Carney appreciates the men’s various influences, especially in light of Harlem’s recent unrest. The men around him—controllers of industry, insurance, and money—actively determine who in Harlem gets the chance to rebuild. He wonders where New York’s White seat of power is located, imagining the stakes are much bigger there.
Again, Carney’s dabbling in crooked endeavors has paid off in social advancement—had he not gotten rid of Duke, he may never have been allowed into the Dumas Club. The changing club reflects the changing city. In light of the riots’ devastation, Carney reflects that the club members, more than anyone, have the power to reshape Harlem. Still, whatever power they have attained is diminished by their Blackness, which always places them lower on the social ladder than their White counterparts because of systemic racism.
Themes
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When Pierce arrives, Carney remarks that he’s seen him on the TV. Pierce specializes in civil rights lawsuits and is heavily involved in James Powell’s case. Five days prior, a White superintendent sprayed Black teenagers with water, calling them slurs. The teenagers responded by throwing things at the man, prompting an off-duty White lieutenant to shoot one of their number—15-year-old James Powell. Now, Pierce delivers a rousing speech about how the city would rather pay millions to Powell’s family than hold the officer accountable.
The details of James Powell’s death are historically accurate. The White officer who shot Powell claimed the boy was holding a knife, thereby justifying his actions as self-defense. Pierce’s remarks about the case suggest that people in power are reluctant to admit wrongdoing because it undermines their authority. In this particular case, money is given up in exchange for maintaining the appearance of unquestionable power.
Themes
Carney asks Pierce if he knows anything about the Van Wyck family, who have an expressway named after them. According to Pierce, the Van Wycks are one of the oldest and most powerful families in New York. Their main business is real estate, and the family is known for their sneaky operations. Pierce recalls a wrongful death suit involving unsafe conditions at a Van Wyck building site, with an employee serving as the prosecution’s star witness. Before that employee could attest to bribing the building inspector, he was brutally murdered. Pierce quips that “when things start getting expensive, [life] gets cheaper still.”
Pierce informs Carney that he is contending with one of the wealthiest (and therefore most powerful) families in New York City. Despite their status, the Van Wycks’ reputation is even more crooked than Carney’s, showing that crime occurs at every level of the class hierarchy. Pierce’s statement rings true for those living in a capitalist society, where money takes priority over human life.
Themes
